1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to culinary apparatus and, more particularly, to a bifurcated cutting implement adapted for cutting through the white of a hard boiled egg for removing the egg yolk therefrom and the storage and handling of whole deviled eggs.
2. History of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with culinary implements adapted for facilitating the preparation of food as well as the enjoyment thereof. Many culinary implements have, however, manifested only slight change throughout the decades. For example, conventional silverware configurations have varied only slightly and many of these variations are attributable to advances in metallurgy. The most noticeable advance in culinary implements is the result of the application of higher technology, e.g. motorizing kitchen utensils. Blenders, mixers, processors and choppers have found widespread application in the preparation of food. In many instances the food preparation is for both aesthetic as well as functional or nutritional benefit.
More basic advances in the prior art include the development of apparatus having, as its sole function, a particular application for culinary items. The cork screw for example was necessitated by the widespread use of water tight corks and in the late 1700's a model was developed with a moving screw and fixed collar which found widespread popularity. Such prior art also includes the development of the modern fork, the distant precursors of which had been dated as far back as the sixth millennium B.C. Such utensils found widespread popularity in the 1300's and 1400's. Such culinary implements were, however, a symbol of luxury and only came into general use at the close of the eighteenth century. It was, in fact, not until this time that individual plates and glasses found themselves in general use by the general public. Prior to this time communal dishes or caldrons were used by both family and guests. It may be seen that culinary implements as well as certain cuisine, though considered a symbol of refinement for the wealthy, have over the centuries found themselves applicable to everyday dinner and public consumption. For this reason culinary implements particularly adapted for the preparation of certain foods play an important role in the development of dining habits. Certain foods such as hors d'oeuvres considered separate from conventional dining and dietary consideration can ultimately become more popular once the preparation thereof has been simplified by such developments.
The preparation of food stuff with culinary implements particularly adapted for a specific operation is represented in some instances by U.S. patent references. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 359,950 was issued to Wilcox in 1887 for facilitating the removal of kernels of corn. This implement was comprised of a bifurcated blade assembly of arcuate design. The blades were disposed in generally parallel spaced relationship to thereby form a generally circumferential cutting surface of bifurcated design. The elongate shape of the implement permitted its resilient engagement with an ear of corn in axial alignment therewith. The resiliency imparted a biased cutting pressure to the ear of corn whereby axial and/or rotational movement of the implement relative to the ear of corn would cause the removal of the kernels therefrom. This particular culinary application has obviously found widespread utility as more advanced assemblages have been provided in more recent years. Today corn is provided as a food stuff in both configurations on the ear and removed therefrom. Only by the advances in cutting technology, however, is the widespread availability for such food items made possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,726,440 is a 1955 patent teaching an improved means for cutting the meat from grapefruit and the like. In this particular application, a generally cylindrical shaped cutter was particularly adapted for engaging, flexing and cutting the meat of a grapefruit for the convenience of the user. The novelty found therein apparently resided in the utilization of the generally cylindrical, flexible cutting blades that were themselves separated in space one from the other for affording ease and flexibility during engagement with the particular food item. Both the size, shape and the material characteristics were particularly adapted for the application so desired. By utilization of this particular culinary implement advances were made possible in food preparation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,549,008 issued to Rasaka in 1951 is yet another advance in food preparation made possible by a culinary implement. In this patent reference a coring implement is constructed with a depth gauge. Fruits and vegetables can therein be prepared in a more efficient manner. Were it not for such tools of the culinary trade, many of todays finer dishes would not be so readily available. Likewise, many of the foods themselves are the result of some manifestation of inventive genius.
Take for example the crescent roll. Invented in the seventeenth century in Vienna, the crescent roll represents both a time and a place. The city had been under siege by the Turks who had been defeated. It is said that a Polish entrepreneur had a baker make small milk bread rolls in the shape of crescents to commemorate the victory over the Turks to be sold with coffee at his cafe. They Were immediately successful. Similarly, cream filled bread rolls originated as a delicacy but due to the development of specialized culinary implements are more common today. For example, one culinary implement particularly adapted for the making of stuffed bread rolls is set forth and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,866 issued to Rimmeir. This 1985 reference teaches yet another device for enhancing the ease with which an individual may prepare food. This culinary implement is particularly adapted for removing the center region of a bread roll for replacing said region with a select filling. The utensil is particularly constructed for this single operation as well as for enhancing the efficiency in food preparation. The construction of the device is particularly adapted for bread wherein the cutting end of the culinary implement is of sinuous construction. A pair of arcuate serrated regions are therein permitted to engage the bread and by select motion remove said center region thereof. In this manner the bread is embedded within the implement itself. A separate aspect of the implement is the means for removing the bread therefrom.
It may be seen that the prior art is replete with apparatus for specific culinary use. None of these devices address the particular application of preparing deviled eggs from hard boiled eggs. Deviled eggs are the result of careful culinary preparation and may vary in composition and design. For example, the mixture of hard boiled egg yolk and other ingredients will vary from recipe to recipe. What does not vary in prior art recipes for deviled eggs is the utilization of one-half of the egg for each deviled egg serving. This requires that the egg be evenly cut in two and the portion thereof is substantially reduced in size. The preparation of a deviled egg from the whole egg is generally not possible due to the difficulty in removing the hard boiled egg yolk from the egg with conventional culinary implements. Yet, a deviled egg made from the whole egg would be aesthetically pleasing and considerably easier to handle as a finger food. With the curvature thereof left intact, it would be both an aesthetic advance over the prior art as well as a functional advance in the preparation of such hors d'oeuvres. The present invention addresses such a need by providing a culinary implement particularly adapted for engaging and removing a select portion of the hard boiled egg white so that the yolk can be easily removed.